International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research (IJSER) www.ijser.in ISSN (Online): 2347-3878, Impact Factor (2015): 3.791 Environmental Justice and Spiritual Ecology

Vijaya S M Indira

ICPR JRF Department Of Philosophy, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh-530003, India

Abstract: Environmental ethics is the field relationship between the environment and ethics. This is the branch of the Practical ethics. Environment plays an important role in the life of the man. To observed the environment relationship in the living organisms as well as the non-living organisms. We must be prepared to address the problems faced by people in the places they inhabit. In this article to identify the environmental justice. The natural culmination of hostility towards science and human rationality is the spiritual ecology.

Keywords: Environmental ethics, environmental Justice, spiritual ecology

1. Environmental Justice There are value conflicts with regard to urban preservation and the values of economic progress, job creation and Environmental ethics as an emerging theory with its wealth dominates over the values of aesthetic multifarious faces includes built environment also. There conservation. Another aspect in urban preservation is that are some thinkers who argue that environmental ethics preserving ancient buildings is a way of respecting also should incorporate built environment. They feel that monuments and historical values in preservation built environment plays a crucial role in analyzing how .Environmental task here is to promote concepts of human degraded our environment and to non-species in preservation and justify the priority of preservation over 3 the nature. Roger J.H. King cites several reasons for growing progress and luxurious style of living. incorporating built environment with environmental ethics. The most significant of these is that “If we are to Spiritual Ecology: articulating he outlines of an environmentally responsible culture, we must be prepared to address the problems For some environmentalists, spiritual ecology is the faced by people in the places they inhabit. Degraded natural culmination of hostility towards science and urban, sub urban and rural environments are obstacles to „human rationality’. As an alternative to science and the development of an environmental conscience. In scientific interpretation of nature, they look for a new addition, they are objective constraints on our efforts to spiritual or religious basis for human life and inter-species minimize waste and pollution and enjoy a harmonious and relationships. Fritjof Capra points out, that this search can integrated human existence in the natural world. Built be characterized as “Paradigm shift‟. In the article environment affect how we perceive the natural world and Ecology and Process Theology‟. John cobb, JR., explains how we understand ourselves, It is crucial, therefore, that the need to change our vision of reality with religious and we consider how we might critique the contemporary built environment.”During the past decade people have become environment and envision one more in conscience with aware of the dangers to the human future resulting from environmental aspirations.1 exploitation of the environment. This exploitation has been consistent and both the dominant economic theories So considering the built environment is important aspect and the dominant theologies of the nineteenth and in environmental ethics. The thought of a harmonious and twentieth century‟s. Ideally these theories called for peaceful environment is possible only when one‟s built treatment of all human beings as ends rather than as environment is in a satisfactory form. There won‟t be any means, but the power of the dominant theories has been environmental consciousness if one‟s built environment is such that their objectifying categories are readily extended in a shabby condition. Built environment works as a to human beings, people too become resources, and the mirror reflecting man‟s position in society. It helps us to term human resources has become prevalent. In the identify our role in nature and our duty towards nature. practice powerless human beings and powerless societies Consciousness about environmental also prevents us from have been treated as resources for exploitation by those over explicating natural resources. who has economic and political power to establish goals and to pursue them. In response to this situation, the task Anver De. Shalit points out about another neglected area cannot be simply to improve practice in light of existing of built environment, urban preservation. He alleges that theory, It must be to change the theory. And because our environmental ethics and literatures on environmental theory, both economic and theology , has both shaped and ethics failed to concentrate on the ethical issues in urban expressed our dominant perceptions and sensibility, it is 4 preservation. Anver points out that the main reason behind necessary to change our vision of reality as well.” such neglected is that a tendency of anti-urbanism among some environmentalists and conservation promotes love Spiritual ecology is a process theory which urges to towards wilderness of nature.2 everyone to identify with everything. Spirituality is the magical tool which can lessen the empirical ego to a point Anver admits there are indeed some genuine theoretical of harmony.” The intensity of identification with other life difficulties in constructing a theory of urban preservation. depends upon milieu, culture and economic conditions. The eco-sophical outlook is developed through identification so deep that one‟s own self is no longer

Volume 4 Issue 11, November 2016 Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY

Paper ID: IJSER151086 71 of 72 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research (IJSER) www.ijser.in ISSN (Online): 2347-3878, Impact Factor (2015): 3.791 adequately delimited by the personal ego or the organism. One experiences oneself to be a genuine part of all life. Each living being is understood as a goal in itself, in principle on an equal footing with one‟s own ego.5

All theistic religions demand submission of one‟s ego in order to proceed a higher realm. This is particularly a dominant tendency in eastern religions.

References

[1] Ruth Chadwick and Doris Schroder,ed (2002), ”Applied Ethics Critical Concepts In Philosophy” ,Routledge Publishers: London [2] Avncr Dc Shalit,”Urban Preservation And the Judgment of Solomon” in Ruth Chadwick and Doris Schroeder,op.cit.p.290 [3] Ibid. [4] Ibid., p.294 [5] Carolyn Benson ed., op.cit.,p.322 [6] JohnBernson ed., cit., p.245

Volume 4 Issue 11, November 2016 Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY

Paper ID: IJSER151086 72 of 72